It is a miraculous invention, the egg. Well, the egg analogy, when applied to God, suggests that only one being exists but this being exists in three different parts. Three persons is false. Basic mathematics tells us that 1x1x1 = 1.. There are three different cloves that represent the three different persons of the trinity. It is not important merely for the sake of tradition, or because the word itself is taught in the Bible (. In Jesus dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Colossians 2:9) This may be my favorite verse of them all. It falls into the heresy of tri-theism. Therefore it behoves us to know what He has revealed (including the Trinity), and to lovingly worship Him accordingly. Each one is fully God. Many of these analogies have the best of intentions, but God cannot be described in a way we can fully comprehend or rationalize. Common, yes. Paul explains our finite understanding of beliefs like the Trinity as looking into a poor-quality mirror- a distorted image; dim and unclear. The teaching of the trinity is clearly taught in Scripture and must be preserved as such. Many of us would use analogies to explain the Trinity. The egg white represents Gods Spirit. That helps explain the concept quite well- the oneness, unity of God with the distinct three persons of God- Father, Son, and Spirit. The angel answered (Mary), The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High (referring to the Father, italics mine) will overshadow you. The Egg and I - Part Two The egg example, while not perfect or complete by any means, will still give us a basic understanding of the primary principle of Biblical Trinitarianism. While an egg has a yolk, a white and a shell to make up the whole, each part is only ever . The concept is literally unthinkable. All these make up one egg just as the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit make up one God. The Spirit white is connected to Jesus Person I will come to you (John 14:18) and the Fathers Person, We will come to him and make our abode with him (John 14:23). Sure enough, one member answered Well Ive heard that the Trinity is like water: water can be liquid, gas (steam), or solid (ice), but its still the same water. Some who deny the Trinity claim 1+1+1=3, and therefore claim we worship three Gods. The Father hears their intercessory prayers. While each person is distinct, they are never separate from one another. The three-leaf clover analogy is OK. In this episode, Fred Sanders discusses what it really means to say that God is a Trinitythree persons in one God. Unfortunately, an analogy from the limited realm of creation may not be sufficient in explaining Gods nature. An egg is made up of shell, white and yolk. Now if any man has not the Spirit of Christ, he is not His" (Romans 8:9). When we separate them and view them as individual deities, that is the error of tritheism, which is the worship of three individual gods as one. They suggest that only one God exists but this God transforms or morphs into each of the different persons Let's begin with the second view. He got married there in 1965, and his four . There would be three thrones. What is wrong with what I said? 2 - The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are each God. There are many mysteries to our faith. Jesus loves us so much that he did not obliterate people who died, with power that set stars in the universe. The Latin word for trinity (trinitas) combines two words- unitas (unity) and trias (three). Share your thoughts with us in the comments! If we separate them we still may have God the Egg yolk, God the Holy Spirit Egg white and God the Son, the Egg shell/image, three individual parts of an Egg, but they cannot be a Trinity, or tri-unity unless they are unified and are seen as one Egg, so to speak. The term Economic refers to the roles, functions, and relationships that exist within the Trinity. John introduces us to the Trinity in John 1:1- In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and Word was God. Jesus, the Word, was present in Genesis 1. The problem with this analogy is that no one molecule of H2O can actually exist as solid, liquid, and gas at the same time. God is one. Instead, each person is co-equal, co-powerful and co-eternal. Bach, and has released two previous CDs, one . In other words, this view denies Gods oneness. God is much bigger than what we can understand yet He is close enough to us so that we can know some things about Him, though not completely and not everything. Scripture however, doesnt depict God this way. Christians believe, then, that only one God exists but this God exists as a unity of three persons: a Trinity. And we know that because Hes been experiencing perfect love within Himself forever. God is much bigger and much greater than we can understand, and to be honest, I'm ok with that. To help you out, here is a comical and silly video that teaches about these bad analogies. Analogies often fall short. Light comes from God. The Father hears their intercessory prayers. The doctrine of the Trinity is one of the primary tenants of the Christian faith. Further, we can label each of the sides. Check out verse four: Holy Author, Holy Word, Holy Spirit, three we name thee; Still, one holy voice is heard; undivided God, we claim thee, and adoring bend the knee, while we own the mystery. . If one of the sides were removed, then there would be no equilateral triangle. This means there is a sense in which all 3 persons may act or speak as one. It may not appear to agree with common sense. A chicken egg consists of a shell, a yolk, and an egg white, yet it is altogether one egg. In contrast to the Ontological Trinity, there is the Economic Trinity. This is a quick way to describe the doctrine of the Trinity namely, God is 1 being (the, is Gods nature, essence, being) and 3 whos (the, being Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). The Son intercedes as our High Priest before the Father. Perhaps we must be content to admit that we cannot fully understand Gods nature in our finitude. Haydn describes himself as a five-point Calvinist, but he recognises that many faithful Christians disagree. Yet we do not have three gods but ONE God. He is married to Shamsa Lea, is the father of Amira, and loves boxing and studying Theology. Admittedly, the idea of three distinct persons/expressions that are each fully God is part of the mystery. This is a place to find encouragement and hope from God's Word as you move through your busy life. This analogy actually teaches the heresy of modalism. For instance at the baptism of Christ, the Father, Son and Spirit are all distinctly present and interacting (Matthew chapter 3 verses 16-17). The trinity is a like a Three-Leaf Clover. These are likewise erroneous or even heretical. The trinity is like water. The Unseen Father keeps the Father that is seen, alive. If then the sun were eternal, the day would never end; but now, for such is not really the state of the case, the day begins with the beginning of the sun, and ends with its ending. The Holy Spirit is the shell, Jesus is the egg white, and the Father is the egg yolk. It does not imply Jesus was created if you emphasize that the Sun existed from eternity past. When discussing God, especially in regards to his nature, being and persons, a simple statement to articulate the Trinity is: God is 1 what and 3 whos*. The Church should not forget that these heresies still exist in the present day and is even being taught by some priests and catechists. If you need to use an analogy, then use a good one. Few if any have every tried to teach the heresy of Tritheism, but it needs to be mentioned anyway. The Trinity is a concept that is impossible for any human being to fully understand, let alone explain. Each person is fully the one God, but is also distinct. The egg shell is the image of the yolk and the white. An explanation that is so common, and seemingly does elucidate how something can simultaneously be three and onecan it really be that bad? Time exists as 3 things: past, present, and future. In order to accomplish this union with God and man, He allowed His Shell to be broken with the weight of our sins to cleanse our souls so His holiness can approach, for God cannot look upon sin (Habakkuk 1:13). There's a simple reason they don't work: The Trinity, as such, isn't like anything in creation. You can throw away one part of an egg (e.g., shell) and still have essentially an egg. But the Trinity is our belief as Christians that God is one being who exists in three Persons- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.. Being the brightness of the eternal Light, He Himself also is absolutely eternal. So while its tough to make sense of the Trinity, the Trinity actually helps us make sense of so many things we believe. Further, his dialectic is guided by the particular consideration of what true love is: a trinity of lover, beloved and the love that binds . The three parts create a unified whole. Finally, I would suggest that the mere fact that we cannot understand the full depth of the Trinity (even with our myriad of analogies) has implications. . We can always rebut these claims with another equation: 1 x 1 x 1=1. The doctrine of the Trinity is one of the primary tenants of the Christian faith. Time Analogy God is like time. It does not represent 3 persons existing simultaneously. One of the more traditional analogies is to the states of water. This little child cannot look at one without experiencing a profound sense of wonderment and awe. God created us for community, since God is communal and we were created in His image. So comparing God to water isnt really as helpful as it seems on the surface. They that dont have the Holy Spirit in them will talk like the Adversary. The God of the Bible is one God. Haydn Lea is an Ordained Minister, and is currently serving as an Air Force Chaplain in Adelaide. The Holy Spirit descended upon Him to equip Him for His ministry. However, it breaks down on the level of equality: No one keeps or eats the shell of an egg. A good follow up verse to help explain is the baptism of Jesus. It only has 1 person acting in three different roles. This is not an exhaustive list: For further reading on the Trinity, I would recommend James Whites The Forgotten Trinity, Wayne Grudems Systematic Theology and online articles by CARM.org. There is only one egg with three different parts. Here are a few of the many verses giving evidence of the Trinity in the Bible: Genesis 1:1&2- In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth The Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. The Holy Spirit was an active participant in the creative process. Therefore the eternal brightness shines forth before Him, and co-exists with Him, in that, existing without a beginning, and always begotten, He always shines before Him; and He is that Wisdom which says, I was that wherein He delighted, and I was daily His delight before His face at all times.. I never thought about it in that way some of these examples Ive never heard of. Some people have suggested using an egg to explain how God can be both one and three. We also know that God didnt create humanity out of loneliness or boredom. He is one God who expresses Himself in three modesFather, Son, and Spirit. The above picture is a famous work of art by Andrei Rubilev, the great medieval Russian painter of Orthodox icons and frescos. RELATED: What Did Jesus Really Look Like? God does not just change forms but exists as three persons in unity. So when God created us and revealed Himself to us, what He did was to invite us into the perfect goodness He has always known within Himself. A man might be a father to his children, a husband to his wife, and son to his parents. We believe in only one true God in all existence, in all places, at all times. A single molecule cannot simultaneously exist in three different states. The Sun was created on the forth day. Modalism denies the distinction of person in the trinity. The trinity is a mystery that cannot be fully comprehended. I and My Father are One (John 10:30). This is why Jesus said, He who has seen Me, has seen the Father (John 14:9). httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQLfgaUoQCw. The meme above discourages the use of analogies in explaining the Trinity. When you encounter a person or group who denies the Trinity, it is merely a matter of walking through these 3 points, to see where they diverge from Biblical teaching. This analogy actually teaches the heresy of tritheism. The Unseen Father and Father that is seen existed at the same time. THE DISTINCTION AND UNITY of the Trinity is not for us to fully understand because it is a supernatural mystery. Arius was condemned by the council of Nicea in 325 AD. RELATED: The Biblical Principle Of Baptism By Fire. You can throw away one part of an egg (e.g., shell) and still have essentially an egg. THE TRUTH IS: The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are not three different parts or components of God, but the three are all equally one God. This analogy is an invalid comparison to the Trinity and is a heresy called PARTIALISM. Love was not given to Jesus. Jesus, visually seen, judges all, not the Unseen Father. They are three in one egg. Jesus is the Holy Spirit. Others compare God to an egg, which is part shell, part white, part yolk. The Trinity is one of the most foundational doctrines of Christianity. Therefore, in this context, God is the what and the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are the who. The following verses attest to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). He cares for his creation and his people. But common sense is intuition based on day-to-day experience. Unfortunately, Arianism is still around and can found within the Jehovah's Witnesses teachings. God does not morph from one person to another, nor does God exist as three separate beings. Although God is transcendent, sovereign, unapproachable light, He has condescended to reveal something of Himself to His creation. When we view the egg in its entirety we have the Biblical Trinity, One that is Three. Though I find the video to be hilarious and often . Here are a couple "usefully flawed" analogies for the Trinity. Answer (1 of 25): Cynics assert that the idea of the Holy Trinity is a logical impossibility. So under modalism, God acts as the Father in the Old Testament, the son in the Gospels, and the Spirit in Acts and the Epistles. Or, we can quote Daniel Webster; a strong Christian- I do not pretend fully to understand the arithmetic of heaven now. . But while this idea is central to the Christian faith, it is also incredibly mysterious to us. Does that make sense? That fire keeps devils away from the saved. If you only had an apple core, you wouldnt pack it in your lunch. But we cannot do that (assuming we can) with God. Although he is one he has different roles to different people. That is a holding pen for final judgment. Understanding 1 Corinthians 14:34-35. They've always led to error and have been rejected by the church. And the Holy Spirit is not the Father or the Son. We believe that it is a revelation that comes from Christ Himself. So God performs 3 different roles/relationships but 1 God. As a result the water molecule must change forms. He can even be all three at the same time. Holy Trinity, the downtown Greek Orthodox church that was partially destroyed by fire 11 years ago, was a special place for 57-year-old Georgiou. Jesus was standing in the Jordan River, His Father speaks from heaven above, and the Holy Spirit descends upon Him as a dove. Modalism is a heresy because it denies the distinction of God. TO AVOID HERESIES, LET US LIVE BY WHAT HAS BEEN REVEALED TO US: 1. Yet, the trinity is mysterious. Thanks, Ann! You can also catch up with me on Facebook, Pinterest, and TikTok Because Gods Person is unapproachable, the Spirit White acts as insulation, for we know that it is through the Holy Spirit that God can communicate, speak through and interact with mankind. Thus, the Father Himself is not God, nor is the Son, nor is the Holy Spirit, but combining the three, there is one God. Before I even began writing this post, I had an unusual song stuck in my head Holy God, we praise thy name. And then theres Jesus, Gods son. The Bible teaches that the Father is God, that Jesus is God, and that the Holy Spirit is God. Is He Jesus side-kick? The Father is fully God; Jesus is fully God and the Holy Spirit is fully God. One cannot remove the Holy Spirit and still have the God as taught in the Bible. Discover the richness of the old yet living 2,000-year-old religion which built the West. If you looked at a single cloverleaf, you wouldnt call it a shamrock. The Trinity is not 1 + 1 + 1 but more like 1 x 1 x 1. FOR CENTURIES, the Church had fought against heresies on the Trinity. The analogy explains that in the same way that one shamrock can have three leaves on it, the Trinity has three Persons that constitute one God. The Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Spirit is God. Tritheism denies that there is only one God. If God has existed for all eternity in a perfectly loving Triune relationship, then it shows He is completely self-sufficient and requires no further relationship in order to complete or satisfy Himself. When we look at the egg as an example of the Trinity, we must view it in its entirety. Rather, He created us in order to bless us. The idea that the Trinity can be compared to a shamrock is largely attributed to St. Patrick. In humans, our spirits are designed to operate with and be united to the soul which is the person of anyone and so it is with our Egg. However, keep in mind that the one being. In one of his sermons, he wrestled with the passage in Scripture recounting Jesus' Baptism. The Trinity is distinct in their roles and individuality, but united in their attributes of love, mercy, holiness, knowledge, etc. The Council's definitions concerning the Trinity are really as easy as one, two, three four. It is still important that we have some understanding of the concept, however. But if modalism is true, and the Trinity really is like water, then the story of Jesus (the Son) praying to the Father as recorded in the Bible seems like an awfully strange masquerade. Yeah its definitely a hard thing to understand, let alone explain to little ones ! I do not have the time or space to exhaustively demonstrate in scripture these truths, but the Biblical witness teaches these three truths consistently about God. We have the creeds for just that reason. Surely this is a better understanding of the water analogy! Analogies for the Trinity exist to explain the unexplainable. It can also be a liquid and called water. It taught there is one nature in God, and that there are two processions, three persons, and four relations that constitute the Blessed Trinity. This analogy seems to make a lot of sense, but it actually reinforces a fatal misconception about the Trinity called modalism. Required fields are marked *. The early church labeled this view "tritheism". When we view the egg in its entirety we have the Biblical Trinity, One that is Three. The yolk represents Gods Person, His Being, and His Holiness which generates Light that no man can approach (I Timothy 6:16). My name is AnnMarie and I'm so glad you're here! No analogy is perfect, but we want to be careful of using wrong ones that may confuse people. I have the good one. . There are some analogies that come close. However, keep in mind that the one being who is God is a personal being. The shell, while important, is no longer needed. He also knows how to perfectly love us. However, Christians through the ages believe in the Trinity because the truths it represents are taught in the Bible. Thus the Father is in Jesus " I and My Father are One" (John 10:30), "The Father is in Me" (John 14:10) God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself (II Corinthians 5:19). They say that three separate beings exist, 2. Each one is fully God. Among the most popular analogies for the Trinity, two in particular stand out; and most of the others resemble one of them.